St Cross’ Akari Matsuoka wins UK kendo double victory

St Cross student and Uehiro Scholar Akari Matsuoka (2025, Recognised Student in Philosophy) recently achieved outstanding success at the 2026 University Taikai, the UK's national kendo championship for university students, winning the Women's Open Individual title and helping Oxford secure first place in the Women's Team competition.

Read on for Akari's reflection on her achievements, the support of her teammates, and the role kendo plays in maintaining her wellbeing alongside the demands of academic study.

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art ("the way of the sword") where practitioners wear protective armour and fight with bamboo swords. It emphasises not just combat skill but also discipline, respect, and character development through samurai Bushido principles. The University Taikai is an annual UK-wide kendo competition for university students, organised by the British Kendo Association (BKA). The 2026 event marked its 21st edition. This year, I won first place in the Women's Open Individual division, and the Oxford team also took first place in the Women's Team division.

Winning all my matches wasn't easy, but my teammates' support and encouragement gave me the motivation to keep going. Thanks to them, I was able to stay composed and focused throughout the competition. The team event was especially meaningful – I enjoyed sharing the results and emotions of each match with my teammates. In fact, I felt happier seeing them happy than about my own victory. I'm grateful to my teammates who trained with me and fought alongside me.

One memorable moment was when a teammate told me after the competition, "You're one of the reasons I decided to continue kendo." I was happy that someone close to me could experience the value of kendo through my example and choose to stay with the club. For me, what matters is not only match results but also the training process and effort we put into it, so it felt especially meaningful to know that I had a positive influence on a teammate.

I don't find it difficult to balance kendo training with my academic work; in fact, kendo has had a positive impact on my studies. It's not just physical exercise – it's about cultivating the mind, focusing on yourself and your opponent, and showing mutual respect. It's meditative and refreshing. Spending long hours sitting alone in front of a laptop can sometimes feel draining. However, kendo training and casual conversations with my teammates have supported my physical and mental well-being, allowing me to stay focused on my academic work.

I've been practicing kendo for about ten years, and the Oxford University Kendo Club is the most open-minded community I've experienced that is also deeply dedicated to improvement. I'm grateful to practice in this environment, surrounded by teammates who inspire me every day.

– Akari Matsuoka